Will selectors reward CZ players for Duleep win?

Central Zone players after winning the Duleep Trophy beating South Zone.

- Sanjjeev K Samyal [e-mail]

Yash Rathod hit a career-best 194, Saransh Jain put up a brilliant all-round show with 69 runs with the bat in the first innings and a match haul of 8/179 and Rajat Patidar scored a classy 101 in the final to power Central Zone to their first Duleep Trophy title in Il years, their seventh overall (including one shared).

Overall, Central Zone captain Patidar topped the batting charts with 382 runs in five innings, at an average of 76.40, Rathod was close behind with 374 runs at an average of 124.66. Young opener Danish Malewar impressed with a run of 352 runs at 70.40.

But they have been doing well in the Ranji Trophy too. Rathod was the highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy last season with 960 runs (average 53.33), Malewar got 783 runs (52.20) while Patidar amassed 529 runs (48.09).

The South Zone attack they got runs against in the Duleep Trophy consisted of Gurjapneet Singh, Vasuki Koushik, MD Nidheesh, Ankit Sharma and Ricky Bhui.

And though four of the five nationals selectors were in attendance for the final, there is a doubt as to how much weightage they will give to the performances?